Apparatus for removing clippings in the production of window envelopes



p 1963 R. WlNKLER ETAL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CLIPPINGS IN THE PRODUCTION OF wmnow ENVELOPES Filed July 1, 1960 wam United States Patent 3,103,842 APPARATUS FGR REMOVING CLEPPTNGS IN THE PRGDUCTKGN 0F WTNDGW ENVELGPES Richard Winkler, Rengsdorf, near Neuwied, Rhineiaud, and Kurt Diinnehier, Woilendorf, near Neuwied, Rhineiand, Germany, assignors to Berkley Machine Company, Kansas City, Mo, a corporation of Missouri Filed July 1, 1969, Ser. No. 40,275 6 Ciairns. (Ci. 83-99) This invention relates to a machine for producing window envelopes or similar articles, and more particularly to apparatus for removing the clippings resulting from cutting out the window apertures in a continuous Web or successive individual blanks.

It is well known that the removal of the clippings causes many dlfiiculties. For example, one method now in use spears the clippings on barb-like needles, after which the clippings are removed from the needles, but barb-like needles cannot always be used, particularly when the apertures are cut out in different positions of the web by means of form cutting tools working against hard surface cylinders. Another method is to remove the clippings by suction devices, but such devices require such large suction capacity that the vacuum pump utilizes too much power in operation thereof. If the removal of the clippings is not reliable, the clippings interfere with the making of the envelopes.

Therefore, the principal objects of the present invention are to provide a simple mechanism that can be depended upon for removal and disposal of the clippings, and to provide an apparatus by which the clippings are under control prior to the final cut and up to the time they are deposited into a container.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for removal of the clippings by a mechanism which requires a minimum driving force; to provide a rotary picker in association with a conveyor belt to elevate the clippings to a container mounted above the Window cutting mechanism; and to provide air blast nozzles in association with the conveyor to retain the clippings thereagainst.

In carrying out these and other objects of the invention, it is associated with a window cutting apparatus disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 4,764, filed January 26, 1960. In accomplishing the above and other objects of the invention, improved structure has been provided, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section through the window cutting apparatus of an envelope making machine equipped with a clipping removing apparatus embodying the features of the present invention. P16. 2 illustrates, on a smaller scale, a web of paper, showing the different stages of producing the window aperture and removal of the clipping.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view to better illustrate the stripper and the groove in the vacuum roller.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a Window aperture cutting apparatus, preferably incorporated in a conventional rotary type of envelope making machine, and equipped with a clipping removal mechanism 2. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, only the work performing elements of the window cutting apparatus are shown, and it is to be understood that the various elements thereof are suitably carried between the side frames 3, which may be the side frames of an envelope making machine utilizing a paper Web 4 in making the envelope blanks. However, it is to be understood that the machine may be of the type using precut blanks, or the windows may be out after the web has been severed into blanks.

The apparatus 1 comprises separate cutting units 5 and 6, arranged to operate upon fiat portions of the web 4, or, in the case of blanks, while the blanks are being conveyed in fiat condition by the blank conveying mechanism of the envelope making machine.

The cutting unit 5 comprises a hard surface roller 7 having its ends suitably journaled in the side frames 3. Cooperating with the roller 7 are spaced apart arcuate blades 8 to rnake longitudinal cuts 9 and 10 in the web 4, the cuts 9 and 10 forming opposite ends of a window opening. The blades 8 are carried on a transverse shaft 11 also mounted between the side frames 3 in a position so that the cutting edges 12 of the blades make peripheral contact with the face 13 of the roller 7.

The cutting unit 6 is positioned a convenient distance forwardly from the unit 5, for making transverse cuts 14 and 15 connecting the respective ends of the longitudinal cuts 9 and 10. The unit 6 includes a stationary knife 16, which may comprise a rigid bar 17 of rectangular cross section, whereby a corner thereof provides a linear transverse cutting edge 18. The bar 17 is supported transversely above the web in inclined position, so that the edge 18 is supported in contact with the face side of the web 4.

The cutting unit 6 also includes a rotor 19 carried on the under side of the path of the web 4 on a transverse shaft 20. The shaft 20 is rotatably supported and driven in timed relation with the shaft 11, so that the transverse cuts 14 and T5 are made in proper relation to the longitudinal cuts 9 and 10. The rotor 19 carries knives 21 and 22 that are supported in parallel relation on an inset cylindrical portion 23 of the rotor unit. The knives are carried by segmental holders 24 and 25 that are .adjustably secured to opposite diametrical sides of the inset cylindrical portion 23 of the rotor by fastening devices 26 and 2.7. The knives Hand 22 are secured, respectively, to adjacent ends of the holders and extend radially from the periphery of the rotor so that the edges 28 and '29 thereof cooperate with the edge 18, producing shearing cuts through the web.

Spaced from the cutting unit 6 is a guide roller 30 carried on -a shaft 31 so that the periphery thereof is preferably positioned above the periphery of the rotor 19 for continuing movement of the web after the window openings have been formed. Rot-atably mounted between the guide roller 30 and the rotor 19, to produce a bight in the web 4 and maintain travel of the web in following relation with the curvatures of the roller 30 and rotor 19, is a rotary picker comprising a vacuum roller 32. The vacuum roller 32 has suction ports 33 arranged to engage a clipping 34 at points just to the rear of the cut M in the places indicated by the cross marks 35 and 36, FIG. 2. The cutting unit 6 rotates at a higher speed than the surface speed of the paper web 4, so that when the knife 21 runs under the stationary knife edge 18, it cuts across the web to produce the transverse cut 14 connecting the cuts 9 and 10. This is followed by the knife 22 running under the knife edge 7 18 to make the transverse cut 15.

The guide roller 30 and vacuum roller 32 operate at Located above the vacuum roller 32 is a conveyor belt 37, which in the illustrated instance has vertical runs 33 and 39 operating in the direction of the arrows over upper and lower rollers 40 and 41. At the side of the vertical run 38 is a wind chest 42.

The wind chest 42 extends from just above the vacuum roller 32 to terminate above the upper of the conveyor rollers 4 and has a fiat front wall 43 spaced from the verti al run of the belt to provide a vertical passageway 44 therebetween. The front wall 43 of the wind chest has apertures 45' spaced along the length thereof, through which air jets are discharged across the passageway 44 in the direction of the belt, as indicated by the arrows 46. The air jets are supplied from a suitable source of compressed air by way of a hose 47 that is connected with a nipple -58 on the rear wall 49 of the wind chest. The first of the apertures is located slightly above the point at which the belt leaves the power roller 41 and the upper aperture 56 is located slightly above the point at which the belt rounds the upper roller 40. At the lower edge of the wind chest 42 is 21 preferably curved stripper 51 that engages in a groove 52 of the vacuum roller 32 to assure that the clipping 34 leaves the vacuum roller and is diverted upwardly between the vertical run of the belt and the front wall of the air chest. At the point where the clipping is engaged between the belt of the vacuum roller, the vacuum through the ports 33 is suspended, so that movement of the clipping is upwardly into the vertical passageway 44. By this time the jet from the lower apertures makes contact with the clipping to hold it against the belt to be carried upwardly thereby. The clipping is maintained in continuous contact with the run of the belt by the successive air jets until the clipping has reached the level of the upper guide roller 4%, where the jet from the upper aperture directs the clipping into a container 53.

The container 53 may be supported by an extension 54 on one of the side frames 3. The conveyor rollers 40 and 41 and the wind chest 42 may also be supported on the extension 54. To assure that the clippings 34 will discharge into the container 53, the upper edge of the wind chest is provided with a deflector surface 55, that preferably curves upwardly and forwardly over the roller 46 in the direction of the container 53. If the clippings are very wide, a plurality of wind chests 42 may be located in side to side relation, to supply suflicient air jets to hold the clippings in flat contact with the run of the belt. The belt of the conveyor may be a synchro-flex toothed belt, if desired. If desired, the wind chest with the stripper 51 and the deflector may be in the form of a swing-out unit, in order to render the underlying parts of the apparatus easily accessible.

Assuming that the window cutting apparatus of the envelope making machine is in operation, with the web 4 being continuously advanced in the direction of the arrow, the cutters 12, cooperating with the hard surface roller 7, produce the laterally spaced apart cuts 9 and '10 at proper intervals in the web, and as the forward ends of the cuts reach the cutting edge 18 of the bar 17, the cutting edge 28 of the rotor 19 runs under the stationary cutting edge 18 to produce the first transverse cut '14. As the points indicated by the cross marks 35 and 36 reach the suction roller, the ports 33 thereof are in position so that the suction therethrough seizes the clipping 30. At this time, the rear ends of the cuts 9 and have reached the cutting edge 18 of the bar 17, and the cutting edge 29 of the rotary knife 22 has come into cutting posit-ion to complete the second of the transverse cuts. The clipping is now free of the Web, but being engaged by the suction is carried about the periphery of the suction roller at a higher speed than the travel of the web, and is lifted therefrom while the web is carried over the guide roller 30. The suction through the ports 33 is maintained on the clipping until the clipping is brought into contact with the conveyor 37 as it is carried around the roller 41. At this point the suction is suspended through the ports 33 and the stripper 5-1 enters under the forward edge of the clipping to strip it from the suction roller, to assure its transfer to the vertical run of the conveyor belt. However, before the clipping has passed from between the suction roller and the belt, the jet from the lower aperture or orifice 45 becomes effective to press the clipping against the belt, so that the clipping is carried with the belt upwardly through the space 44 and into the path of the succeeding air jets, to continue the pressure on the clippings and make certain that travel with the conveyor is continued. It is obvious that the clippings are under complete control from the last of the cuts until they are deposited in the container, thereby assuring removal of each clipping from the web or blanks, as the case may be, and also assuring that the clippings do not fall out to inter fere with operation of the machine. When the clipping reaches the point where the belt begins to move around the upper roller 46, the jet from the uppermost orifice directs the clipping over the roller 40 and into the container 53, with the aid of the forwardly curved deflector 5-5. The web, freed of the clippings, continues its movement over the guide roller 39 to the cutting and folding sections of the envelope making machine.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for making window envelopes from a material conveyed through a generally horizontal path, mechanism above said path for removal of clippings resulting from cutting out window openings in the material from which the envelopes are formed, said mechanism including a rotatable suction roller, means for rotatably supporting the suction roller in contact with the upper surface of the material for gripping the clippings and Withdrawing the clippings from said material, an endless conveyor belt extending substantially vertically, a container above the suction roller for receiving the clippings, means for supporting the lower end of the conveyor belt in position to make contact with the clippings while engaged by the suction roller for coopenating therewith in completing the withdrawal of the clippings, means for removing the clippings from the suction roller for transfer onto the conveyor belt, means supporting the upper end of the belt in discharging relation with the container, and means extending upwardly along said conveyor belt for discharging jets of pressure medium in contact with the clippings to hold the clippings against said belt to be elevated thereby into the container.

2. In a machine for making window envelopes from material conveyed through a generally horizontal path, mechanism above said path for removal of clippings resulting from cutting out window openings in the material from which the envelopes are formed, said mechanism including a rotatable suction roller, means for rotatably supporting the suction roller in contact with the upper surface of the material for gripping the clippings and withdrawing the clippings from said material, an endless conveyor belt, a container above the suction roller for receiving the clippings, means for supporting the lower end of the conveyor belt in position to make contact with the clippings while engaged by the suction roller for cooperating therewith in completing the withdrawal of the clippings, means for removing the clippings from the suction roller for transfer onto the conveyor belt, upper means for directing a run of the conveyor belt in a substantially vertical direction from the suction roller, means extending along said run of the conveyor belt for discharging jets of pressure medium in contact with the clippings to hold the clippings against said belt, and means at the discharge end of the run of the belt for deflecting the clippings into the container.

3. In a mechanism for producing window envelopes or the like, means for advancing a continuous web of envelope material in a generally horizontal path, means above for making laterally spaced apart cuts in a longitudinal direction within said web, a stationary blade extending transversely of the upper side of the web, a rotor in contact with the other side of the web and carrying spaced apart transverse blades for cooperating with the stationary blade in making successive cuts connecting the laterally spaced apart cuts, a guide roller also in contact with the under side of the web and spaced from said areasaa g. 0.3 rotor, a suction roller above the web and being positioned between the rotor and said guide roller to form a bight in said upper side of the web for seizing the clipping at a point intermediate said transverse cuts to lift the clipping from the web as the web passes over the guide roller, 21 substantially vertical conveyor cooperating with the suction roller to complete withdrawal of the clipping after the last of said transverse cuts, means for removing the clippings from the suction roller for transfer onto the conveyor, an air chest extending upwardly along the conveyor and having air jets discharging air against the clipping to hold the clipping on the conveyor, and a container at the discharge end of the conveyor for receiving the clipping from said conveyor.

4. In a mechanism for producing window envelopes or the like, means for advancing a continuous web of envelope material, a cutting mechanism for making laterally spaced apart cuts in said web extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the advancing web, a stationary blade disposed transversely on one side of the advancing web in advance of said cutting mechanism, a rotor on the other side of the web carrying spaced apart transverse blades for cooperating with the stationary blade in making successive cuts connecting the laterally spaced apart cuts, a guide roller spaced from said rotor, a suction roller in said space between the rotor and said guide roller to form a bight in said web to seize the clippings at a point intermediate said transverse cuts to lift the clippings from the web as the web passes over the guide roller, a conveyor extending substantially vertically and having one end cooperating with the suction roller to complete withdrawal of the clippings after the last of said transverse cuts and having a discharge end remote from the suction roller, means in substantially tangent relation with the suction roller and engageable under an edge of the clippings to strip the clippings from the suction roller for transfer to the conveyor, an air chest extending along the conveyor and having orifices discharging air jets against the clippings to hold the clippings on the conveyor, and a container at the discharge end of the conveyor for collecting the clippings.

5. In a mechanism for producing window envelopes or the like, means for advancing a continuous web of envelope material, a cutting mechanism for making laterally spaced apart cuts in said web extending in the longitudinal direction with respect to the advancing web, a stationary blade disposed transversely on one side of the advancing web in advance of said cutting mechanism, a rotor on the other side of the Web canrying spaced apart transverse blades for cooperating with the stationary blade in making successive cuts connecting the laterally spaced apart cuts, a guide roller spaced from said rotor, a suction roller in said space between the rotor and said guide roller to form a bight in said web to seize the clippings at a point intermediate said transverse cuts to lift the clippings from the web as the web passes over the guide roller, a substantially vertical conveyor having one end cooperating with the suction roller to complete withdrawal of the clippings after the last of said transverse cuts and having a discharge end remote from the suction roller, means in substantially tangent relation with the suction roller and engageable under an edge of the clippings to strip the clippings from the suction roller for transfer to the conveyor, an air chest extending along the conveyor and having orifices discharging air jets against the clippings to hold the clippings on the conveyor, a container at the discharge end of the conveyor for collecting the clippings, and a deflector at the discharge end of the conveyor for deflecting the clippings into the container.

6. In a mechanism for producing window envelopes or the like, means for advancing a continuous web of envelope material, a cutting mechanism for making laterally spaced apart cuts in said web extending in the longitudinal direction with respect to the advancing web, a stationary blade disposed transversely on one side of the advancing web in advance of said cutting mechanism, a rotor on the other side of the web carrying spaced apart transverse blades for cooperating with the stationary blade in making successive cuts connecting the laterally spaced apart cuts, a guide roller spaced from said rotor, at suction roller in said space between the rotor and said guide roller to form a bight in said Web to seize the clippings at a point intermediate said transverse cuts to lift the clippings from the web as the web passes over the guide roller, a substantially vertical conveyor having one end cooperating with the suction roller to complete withdrawal of. the clippings after the last of said transverse cuts and having a discharge end, means in substantially tangent relation with the suction roller and engageable under an edge of the clippings to strip the clippings from the suction roller for transfer to the conveyor, an air chest extending along the conveyor and having a series of orifices for discharging air jets against the clippings to hold the clippings on the conveyor, a container at the discharge end of the conveyor for collecting the clippings, the upper of said orifices being located above said conveyor 'for blowing the clippings from said conveyor into the container, and a deflector extending from said air chest over the discharge end of the conveyor to guide the clippings into the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,765 Perkins June 5, 1906 1,393,524 Grupe Get. 11, 1921 1,410,018 Kiracofe Mar. 21, 1922 1,462,138 Langston July 17, 1923 1,983,708 Ruble Dec. 11, 1934 2,302,855 l-lallman Nov. 24, 1942 2,486,196 Nebolsine Oct. 25, 1949 2,649,056 Autenrieth Aug. 18, 1953 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR MAKING WINDOW ENVELOPES FROM A MATERIAL CONVEYED THROUGH A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PATH, MECHANISM ABOVE SAID PATH FOR REMOVAL OF CLIPPINGS RESULTING FROM CUTTING OUT WINDOW OPENINGS IN THE MATERIAL FROM WHICH THE ENVELOPES ARE FORMED, SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SUCTION ROLLER, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE SUCTION ROLLER IN CONTACT WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL FOR GRIPPING THE CLIPPINGS AND WITHDRAWING THE CLIPPINGS FROM SAID MATERIAL, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY, A CONTAINER ABOVE THE SUCTION ROLLER FOR RECEIVING THE CLIPPINGS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWER END OF THE CONVEYOR BELT IN POSITION TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CLIPPINGS WHILE ENGAGED BY THE SUCTION ROLLER FOR COOPERATING THEREWITH IN COMPLETING THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE CLIPPINGS, MEANS FOR REMOVING THE CLIPPINGS FROM THE SUCTION ROLLER FOR TRANSFER ONTO THE CONVEYOR BELT, MEANS SUPPORTING THE UPPER END OF THE BELT IN DISCHARGING RELATION WITH THE CONTAINER, AND MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY ALONG SAID CONVEYOR BELT FOR DISCHARGING JETS OF PRESSURE MEDIUM IN CONTACT WITH 